Hey Guys,
I'm looking for some interesting (and fun) arpeggio exercise ideas to add to may practice routine. It's an area I'm really trying to strengthen at the moment so I can move more away from just playing covers and being able to compose/improvise my own lines. Any suggestions welcomed.
Thanks
Once I started thinking in numbers (R-b3-5-b7) and letters Cmaj7-Em-G7-Bdim and relating that to where they are on the fretboard arpeggio patterns become a piece of cake. The following should help.
This is cut and paste --- old stuff --- pick out what you need. Yes it is long, however contains what you are asking about.
So when your ear tells you, or you see a chord your fingers know what to do with that information. The following are some things you can work on.
For this paper we will be referring to notes as A, B, C & 1, 2, 3. For example:
C Major Scale…….....…C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C (octave)
Scale degree number. 1. 2, 3,.4,.5, 6, 7, 8 (octave)
The Major Scale Box Pattern will also be used in our examples.
The Major Scale Box
G|~~|---A----|-------|---B---|---C---|1st string
D|~~|---E----|---F---|--------|--G----|
A|~~|---B----|---C---|-------|---D----|
E|~~|---------|---G---|-------|---A----| 4th string
C and D played on the A string.
E, F and G played on the D string.
A, B and C played on the G string.
Why did I place the C root note on the A string? If we place the tonic root note of the scale or chord progression on the A string the 4th and 5th scale degrees will be above and below the tonic root note. Why is that important? The I-IV-V chord progression finds its way into hundreds of simple songs. Having the I, IV and V root notes all together in one spot will prove to be an advantage.
Octaves - Playing the root of a chord and just pounding out root notes is safe - and boring. Think about octaves, which is the root in another octave, R-8, or R-8-R-8 or R-R-8-8, safe and simple. Hold on --- the 5 is always right below the 8 so the R-5-8-5 becomes another safe bass line you could get into muscle memory very easily. More on that later.
Any root note’s octave can be found up two strings and over two frets. To simplify this paper “over” will mean move toward the bridge and “back” will mean move toward the nut. OK this will find the 8 or octave note, if you want to return to the 1 note go down two strings and back two frets.
Find a C note. For its octave 8 go up two strings and over two frets. For the tonic 1 note go down two strings and back two frets.
5th fret rule
The A at the 5th fret is the same as the open A string.
The D at the 5th fret is the same as the open D string.
The G at the 5th fret is the same as the open G string.
7th fret rule
E at the 7th fret is the same as the E open string.
A at the 7th fret is the same as the A open string.
D at the 7th fret is the same as the D open string.
Finding the other notes
- From any note where is its 2? Over two frets same string.
- From any note where is its 3? Up a string and back one fret.
- From any note where is its 4? Up a string same fret.
- From any note where is its 5? Up a string and over two frets, or right below on the next string down, same fret.
- From any note where is its 6? Up two strings and back one fret. Right over the 3.
- From any note where is its 7? Up two strings and over one fret. If you want C’s 7th find a C and the 7th is back one fret. This comes in handy when moving back down a scale.
- From any note where is its 8? Up two strings and over two frets.
Major scale box showing scale degree numbers and the root note on the 4th string.
G|---2---|-------|---3---|---4---| 1st string
D|---6---|-------|---7---|---8---|
A|---3---|---4---|-------|---5---|
E|-------|---R---|-------|---2---|4th string
This box, using scale degree numbers instead of note names will allow you to utilize the scale or chord spelling in your bass lines. See a Cmaj7 chord coming up in the song. The spelling for the Cmaj7 is R-3-5-7. Find those scale degrees within the box and you have a safe bass line. Start with just roots, need more add a 5. The 8 is always a safe addition. From there the correct 3 and 7 fill out a bass line very well.
The rest of the story:
Might as well give you some more. Fearceol mentioned chord tones. Yes that is what we play 95% of the time. Here is another cut and paste paper for your reference file.
My old standby chart of generic bass lines using the major scale box as a Rosetta stone.
Bass Patterns based upon the Major Scale box.
Major Scale Box.
G|---2---|-------|---3---|---4---| 1st string
D|---6---|-------|---7---|---8---|
A|---3---|---4---|-------|---5---|
E|-------|---R---|-------|---2---|4th string
You may recognize this pattern with dots.
Adding the numbers lets the pattern come alive.
Cmaj7 chord coming up in the song. Find a C note on the 3rd or 4th string and put this box's R over that C note. Then play the "spelling" for the Cmaj7 chord. That spelling is listed below and it is R-3-5-7. If you wanted to play the C major scale, that spelling is R-2-3-4-5-6-7.
Basic Chord Spellings
- Major Triad = R-3-5 for the C chord.
- Minor Triad = R-b3-5 for the Cm chord.
- Diminished Chord = R-b3-b5 for the Cdim chord.
7th Chord Spellings
- Maj7 = R-3-5-7 for the Cmaj7 chord.
- Minor 7 = R-b3-5-b7 for the Cm7 chord.
- Dominant 7 = R-3-5-b7 for the C7 chord.
- ½ diminished = R-b3-b5-b7 for the Cm7b5 chord.
- Full diminished = R-b3-b5-bb7 for the C with the little o - no strike through.
See a chord and play it's chord tones. As every key will have three major, three minor and one diminished chord it's a good idea to get your major, minor and diminished bass line chord tones into muscle memory so when you see a chord your fingers just know what will work. Now the song may only give you enough room for the root, or root five - adapt and get as many chord tones into your bass line as needed. Root on 1 and a steady groove from the other chord tones plus something to call attention to the chord change is what we do.
Scale Spellings Yep, gotta do our scales so our fingers know where the notes are and our ears get used to the good and bad sounds. Scales are a right of passage thing. Got to know them, however, chord tones is what we get paid to play.
- Major Scale = R-2-3-4-5-6-7 Home base
- Major Pentatonic = R-2-3-5-6 Leave out the 4 & 7
- Natural Minor Scale = R-2-b3-4-5-b6-b7 Major scale with the 3, 6 & 7 flatted.
- Minor Pentatonic = R-b3-4-5-b7 Leave out the 2 & 6.
- Blues = R-b3-4-b5-5-b7 Minor pentatonic with the blue note b5 added.
- Harmonic Minor Scale = R-2-b3-4-5-b6-7 Natural minor with a natural 7.
- Melodic Minor Scale = R-2-b3-4-5-6-7 Major scale with a b3.
Let the major scale be your home base then change a few notes and you have something different. No need to memorize a zillion patterns. Let the major scale pattern be your go to pattern - then adapt/adjust from there.
Generic Notes - for your bass line.
- The root, five and eight are generic (R-5-8-5) and fit most any chord. Remember the diminished has a flatted 5.
- The 3 is generic to all major chords. So R-3-5-3 will fit under any major chord.
- The b3 is generic to all minor chords. And R-b3-5-8 will fit under any minor chord. Why the 8? Well the 8 is just another root in the next octave.
- The 7 is generic to all maj7 chords. Yep, R-3-5-7 fits nicely.
- The b7 is generic to all dominant seventh and minor seventh chords. G7 = R-3-5-b7 or Gm7 = R-b3-5-b7.
- The 6 is neutral and adds color, help yourself to 6’s. Love the sound of R-3-5-6 with a major chord.
- The 2 and 4 make good passing notes. Don’t linger on them or stop on them, keep them passing.
- In making your bass line help yourself to those notes, just use them correctly.
- Roots, fives, eights and the correct 3 & 7 will play a lot of bass.
OK fine, how to use all that I know is the question. How about some generic riffs and or grooves:
Memphis Soul [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] Google can find hundreds of riffs for you; get several into muscle memory. Here are some
|6667 8555 5668
|5538 6333 3378
| and the ole R-5-8-5 will fit most anywhere.
I'd recommend fake chord sheet music for some arpeggios. Ask Google to find songs with these search words; Chords, name of the song.
